Fencepost and wire fastener



G. E. RUSSELL.

FENCEPOST AND WIRE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1920.

Patente Aug. 22, 1922.

GrPANT E. RUSSELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSO'URI.

FENCEZPOST AND VJIRE FASTENER.

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Application filed. May 7, 1920. Serial No. 379581.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GnANr E. RUssELL,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful lmprove nents in Fenceposts and`Wire Fasteners, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to fence posts, and means for securing the linewires ot a fence to such a post. It is an object of this invention toprovide a felice post type which is constructed so as to have aplurality of pockets or openings therein to receive fasteners adapted toclamp the line wires of a fence to the post.

The invention also contenplates the provision of a 'fastener of simpleand durable Construction which will securely clamp the wires to thepost, and may at the same time be readily applied.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a fastener which isconstructed cit any suitable wire which will lend itself to readybending so that the same may be bent to shape and applied to the tensepost, and without the use of special tools.

The invention consists in the construction of the post and fastener andalso in the combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a post showing the wres clamped thereto.

Fig. 2 is a tragmentary vertical sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a reinforcing sleeve appliedto the tastener.

i Fig. 4: is a plan view of the fastener shown in Fig. 3. e

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified ;form of tastener,

Fig. 6 is a view showing the 'astener indicated in Fig. 5 in thecondition in which it is adapted to be applied to the wire, and beforeit is twisted to the shape in which it is inserted in the post pocket,and

Fig. 7 is a view of still another form of fastener.

Referring to the accompanying drawings more in detail, 10 indicates apost which may be of the molded type fashioned from concrete or cement,and provided wth a of the 'molded plurality of spaced transverseopenings or pockcts ll therein.

Although, I have shown' and described this post as of the molded type,it should also be understood that the same may be con structed of wood,metal or any other suitable material to which my improved fastener meanshereinatter described may be applied. The pockets or openings ll areshown as eXtending transversely of the post and entirely through thesame, although, oii course, it is understood that the same need not beextended entirely through the post. One of the walls of the opening, inthis instance the upper wall 12, is inclined toward its opposite wall inthe direction ot the entrance of the opening which is in the front face10' of the post. This inclinaton of the upper wall is 'for the purposeot cooperating with the fastener means later described so as to retainthe tastener or clamp in the opening. For this same purpose the upperwall 12 is also provided adjacent the entrance to the pocket with ashoulder l3 which is engaged by a portion of the clamp, and thusprevents the clamp from being removed therefrom. p

The clamp or fastener is tormed from a single piece of wire or othersuitable material which is at approXimat-ely its central orton, bentupon itself, as at 14-, to form shanks 15, 16, having ends 15', l6' bentin the same general direction at an angle to and' over .the shankstoward the central bend 14.

The tastener is adapted to be inserted in the pocket or opening throughthe entrance thereof in the front face 10' of the post. Upon theinsertion of the fastener, the same being formed 'from wire having aslight degree of resiliency, the end portions of the same are compressedand remain in this compressed position until the tastener is inserted inthe pocket a suflicient distance to permit the bent end portions to passthe shoulder 13 whereupon the ends spring forwardly to the positionshown in Fig. 2, preventing the removal of the tastener. It is, ofcourse, understood that before the fasteners are inserted in the openingthey are passed over the lin wir'es F of the fence.

If it is desired to stren then the clarnp, a stiiening sleeve 17 may %eplaced over its end portions so that should an excessive pull be exertedupon the fastener, it Will be necessary to Collapse and bend not onlythe angularly disposed end portions, but also the stili'ening sleeve 17.In constucting these tasteners it is desirable to bend'the end portionsin relation to the shanks so that an outward pull on the 'fastener willbe transmitted to the end portions the ends of which should abut theshoulder in such a manner that the strain will. be in the direction ofthe length ot the end portions and not at the bend which they make withthe shanks of the` fastener. It the fasteners are constructed 'in thismanner, and app-lied to the e post as described, any outward pull uponviously, the application of the stifiening the fastener will not tend tocause the angularl-y bent end portions to straighten out with relationto the shanks, but will rather tend to transversely bend the same. Oh

sleeve 17 will materially increasethe strength of the :fastenenReferring to Figs. 5 and 6, there is shown a modified form offastener'which is constructed of a single length of spring wire or othersuitable material looped at its central portion to form an eye`19 `andthen bent to y the shape shown in Fig. 5 to 'form shanks 20, 21, havingend portions 20', 21', extendingin the same general direction at anangle to and over the shanks. Inapplying this tastener tothe tence postthe same may be positioned on the felice wire in the shape shown in Fig.6, and after the wire is placed within the eye 19, the shank 21 is bentto the position shown in Fig. 5, whereupon the fastener is inserted; inits pocket within the fence post in the same manner as the fastenershown in the remaining views, and as previously described.

In Fig. 7 is shown another type of fastener similar to the fastenershown in Fig. 3 and bent upon itself as atlil to :form shanks l 16 Theend portions ot these shanks are bent to ;['o'm resilient loops 16 andthen extend at an angle to and over the shanks toward the bend 141 inthe same manner as the ends of the :tastener shown in Fig. 3. By the:tormation of the loops 16 the resiliency of the end portions isincreased and thus when the end portions are bent toward the shanks uponinserting the fastenerinto the openings in the post they have a greatertendency to move from the position into which they are compressed and tolodge beh ind. the shoulder 13.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the fasteners areformed so that the length of the end portions bent at an angle to theshanks is greater than the height of the opening from the floor of thesame to the top, this Construction being de sirable for the reason thatan outward pull upon the fastener after the same is inserted cannotstraighten out the fastener without bending the end portions, and whenthe stifiening sleeves are placed upon these end portions it is thusnecessary to bend not only the end portions, but also the sleeves,before the outward pulling Stress can remove a tastener.

It should be understood that such modifications may be made in theConstruction of the post, the tormation of the tastener pickets, and inthe shape of the fasteners as cone within the scope of the claimsappended hereto. For instance, it may be desirable at times to vary theshape of the upper wall of the pocket so that the shoulder 13 will bemore inclined and will not make such a sharp angle with the otherportions of the upper Wall.

lt should further be understood that al though l have described myinvention asapplied particularly to a fence post and; to the retentionof fence wires upon such a post, obviously, the same is not limited inits application to this particular use and is adapted 'for use inconnection with posts and v other objects of a similar character towhich wires or the like. are to be tastened.

I claim:

1. A t'astener for securing theline wires of a ;Ecnce to a postcomprising a shani( having an eye at one end by means of which thefastener may be secured to'the fence wire, and a portion at the otherend bent away from the shank and inclined over the shank, said endportion being of less length than the shank and terminating intermediatethe ends of the shanks, the end portion; and the shank being adapted tofit within an opening 111 a fence post whereby the end` portion maysecure the fastener to the `tence post 2. A fastener formed of. a lengthof wire having. a shank, an. eye at one end ofthe shank,` a portion atthe other end of the shank bent away from and` inclined over the shank,and a stifiening means upon said last mentioned portion. i

3. A fastener formed of a length of wire having a shank, an eye at oneend of the shanit, a' portion at the other end of the shailr bentawayfrom and inclined .over the shank, and ,a stiffening sleeve upon saidlast mentioned; portion. v 4

4-. A' fastener formed of a length. of; wire having a sha nk, an` eye atone end of the shank, a portion at the other end of .the shank bent awayfroni and: inclined overthe shank, and' a removable stitfening sleeveupon said last mentioned portion.

5. A 'astener for securing thewires'of a fence to a post comprising asingle length of wirehaving its end ally in. opposite directions and.rearwardly over the main body 'of the wire, the length of wire beingalso bent upon itself at. its center to dispose the end portionsside byportions bent later side extending in the same direction. said endportions being adapted to fit within openings in a fence post and thecentrally bent portion of the length of Wire forming an eye to receivethe Wires of a fence.

6. A fastener formed from a single length of wire looped atsubstantially its center to form an eye and having a pair of shankseXtending in the seine general direction :from said loop, said shanlrshaving end portions bent away there'rom in the same direction andinclined over the shanks."

7. A fastener formed froni a single length of wre bent upon itself toform shanlrs, said shanks having ends bent therefron substantially inthe same direction and inclined over said shanks, and stitening meansupon said shank ends.

8. A fastener formed from a single length of Wire bent upon itself toform shanks, said shanks having ends bent therefrom substantially in thesame direction and inclined over said shanks, and a stifi'ening sleevesurrounding the ends of said shanks.

9. A fastener formed froni a single length of Wire looped atsubstantially its center to form an eye and having a pair of shanksextending in the same general direction from said loop, said shankshaving end portions bent away therefroin in the same direction andinclined over the shanks, and a stiffening sleeve surrounding the endp0rtions of said shanks.

10. A fastener for securing the Wires of a ;Eence to a post comprising asingle length of wire looped at its central portion to form an eye,having its end portions bent laterally in opposite directions andrearwardly over the main body of the Wire, the length of Wire being alsobent upon itself at its center to dispose the end portions side by sideextendng in the same direction, said end portions being adapted to fitwithin openings in a fence post, and said eye being adapted to receivethe Wires of the fence.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GRANT E. RUSSELL.

